County briefs

Recognitions and appointments; non-contract community animal control fee increased; county seeks health insurance proposals; storm declaration; business incubator startup; and committee changes

[February 06, 2009]  All board members were present for the Logan County Board's adjourned session on Jan. 20.

Prior to settling down to more serious business, board member Pat O'Neill introduced three high school students who had been chosen for the county's student of the month program. The board honored Courtney Akers from Mount Pulaski High School, Kelly Knecht from Lincoln Community High School and Ashley Taylor, also from LCHS, for their achievements as good students and citizens.

The board also honored Cherie Preston and Kelly Cale for their devotion to rescuing animals that have been brought to the Logan County animal control facility. The two have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their efforts, volunteering their time to give extra care to the animals and helping find homes for many of them, all at their own expense.

For January, the board approved two appointments to the Logan County Regional Planning Commission: Dave Evans and Judi Graff. Both are reappointments to that commission.

In December the board approved three appointments:

• Julie Parker as animal control warden.

• Maurice Tierney as animal control deputy warden.

• Stacie Wachtel to the board of Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County.

The county board also honored past board members for their service. Presentations were made to Richard E. "Dick" Logan, Vicki Hasprey, George Mitchell, Mike McIntosh and Bill Sahs.

In other business:

Health insurance

The county is gathering proposals for employee health insurance. Logan County employees are currently insured under a plan with Health Alliance. The annual renewal is due in the spring.

Animal control

The board approved an increase in the base fee for calls to pick up an animal in a non-contractual municipality. Animal control officers would respond when called, and the municipality would be billed $200 per call. It would then be up to the municipality to collect that fee from the animal's owner.

Aluminum can collection has been down at the facility. The cans have been a good source of revenue that has helped offset boarding costs for the animals there. "We need to get the word out that it does make a difference," committee member Dave Hepler said. The facility management hopes to increase the collection by providing certificates of appreciation when bags of crushed cans are donated. This would help make it a good youth project.

Property maintenance

The following expenditures were approved:

• By bid: Carpet for Circuit Clerk Carla Bender's office, from Stewart Carpet Center at $5,639.29.

• By bid: New sound system for Judge Thomas Harris' third-floor courtroom, from Lincoln Land Communication at $3,303.

• Elevator inspection: $700.

Storm damage

The board approved a resolution for a Logan County emergency disaster declaration. According to the Logan County Emergency Management Agency, severe thunderstorms and possible tornadic winds that struck the area beginning on Dec. 27 continuing through Dec. 28 caused extensive damage to residential structures, public utilities and infrastructure, and costs exceeded resources. The damage estimate was over $3 million.

Helpful funds redirected

An unused $50,000 state grant with a Dec.1 expiration date has been retained. Dan Fulscher, EMA director, reapplied for a change in the grant structure, and the December deadline was extended. The funds will be used for some unanticipated emergency expenses.

The grant was initially secured to help purchase a storage building that had been rented by the county for over 10 years. Owners of the building withdrew their offer to sell last month. The facility continues to be rented and is currently shared between the emergency management agency and the sheriff's department.

Business incubator discussed

There was some discussion of one of the newest projects under way at the Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership. Joel Smiley, executive director, is leading the development of a business incubator.

Bill Martin, board liaison to the development partnership, explained that the partnership is using a two-pronged approach to add business to the area. One births a new business and the other looks outward to bring business in.

Martin explained that the business incubator is a means of starting a business that might stay local. The business is provided help, including guidance from mentors, in getting started and growing. It is hoped that when a startup is graduated out into the business world, it will stay in the area. Peoria has had great success with these, Martin said

The current plan is to have multiple incubator sites. At present it is hoped to start with one in Lincoln and possibly another in Mount Pulaski, Martin said.

The business incubator would be operated through the development partnership, but has broken out as a separate committee for it to get more focus, according to Martin and Jan Schumacher.

Committee changes

Terry Carlton, board chairman, brought to discussion some committee changes. The finance committee has been meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Thursdays on the day when the committee of the whole meets. He recommended moving the finance meeting to the second Tuesday of every month at 5:30 p.m.

Finance chairman Chuck Ruben had reservations if this would be to the best benefit to the board. His main reservation was that when the committee meets, there is frequently an unforeseen need for information from officeholders or department heads, which they have been able to attain on the spot by meeting during morning office hours.

Carlton felt that meeting on the Tuesday before the whole board gathers would allow the committee to still gather information and then be ready for presentation to the whole board on Thursday.

The benefit Carlton sees in the change is that it would remove the constraint of who from the board could attend finance meetings.

The finance committee change has trade-offs and is being treated as a four-month trial.

The combined executive and economic development committee has moved to Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

The board approved the following committee changes:

County board committees

• Planning and zoning: Add David Hepler; remove Luster

• Finance: Add Luster; remove Hepler

• Executive, economic development: Add Hepler; remove Luster

County board liaisons

• Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership and business incubator liaison: David Hepler

• Chamber of commerce liaison: Jan Schmacher

Note: These are county board members who would go to other non-county committee or commission meetings. In the above situations they would provide county input and would report back to the board what is happening.

It was clarified that the new partnership committee is a newly formed committee that is affiliated, but separate from the partnership. Two board members are assigned as liaisons to the partnership. When there are two members present at a meeting, it can be conducted as a closed meeting. When three members of a body are present, meetings must be held as open.

Chairman comments

The county board chairman sits in on every committee. At the conclusion of the evening's business, Carlton put forth some of his observations and thoughts for the board. He recalled that he'd sat in on committee meetings and watched for a year prior to becoming a board member. Now, as a board member for the past two months, he said: "I've seen what it really means to be part of those committees. I just want to thank you for your commitment to Logan County and the diligence that you pay to perform your duties, each and every one of you. The energy that you bring to the committees is vivid."

He put forward the following challenge: "During the next committee meetings, develop three goals which you would like your committees to achieve this next year. This sets us apart from just management to dreaming on how we'd like these areas to go forward," he said.

Lastly, he asked board members to think over if Logan County needs a county coordinator or manager. He asked them to think about what that would look like: Could it be a part-time job? Where would it benefit departments? What are the pros and cons?

"Thank you for all of your hard work," he concluded. "It's not always easy."

Each month the whole board gathers twice to exchange information and to vote. This month they will meet to share committee reports and discuss matters as a board of whole on Feb. 12. They meet again in an adjourned session on Feb. 17, when they would take matters to a vote. Both meetings are scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Logan County Courthouse.

See committee schedules and assignments below.

[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]

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Logan County Board committee schedule for February

There are a couple of changes to this month's meeting schedule. The finance committee's time and day have been temporarily changed. In a four-month trial, they will meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m.

The board's executive and economic development panel will begin meeting on the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. 

Committee	Location	Date	Time
Airport, farm	Courthouse	Monday, Feb. 2	7 p.m.
Road and bridge	Courthouse	Monday, Feb. 2	7:30 p.m.
Buildings and grounds	Courthouse	Tuesday, Feb. 3	7 p.m.
Insurance, legislative	Courthouse	Tuesday, Feb. 3	7:30 p.m.
Planning and zoning	Courthouse	Wednesday, Feb. 4	6:30 p.m.
Regional planning commission	Courthouse	Wednesday, Feb. 4	7:30 p.m.
Law enforcement, EMA	Safety complex	Thursday, Feb. 5	7 p.m.
Health	109 Third St.	Monday, Feb. 9	7 p.m.
Finance	Courthouse	Tuesday, Feb. 10	5:30 p.m.*
Animal control	Courthouse	Tuesday, Feb. 10	7 p.m.
Board of whole	Courthouse	Thursday, Feb. 12	7 p.m.
Adjourned board	Courthouse	Tuesday, Feb. 17	7 p.m.
Executive, economic development	Courthouse	Wednesday, Feb. 18	7 p.m.**
Joint solid waste	Courthouse	Wednesday, Feb. 18	7 p.m.

* Denotes temporary change in date and time.
** Denotes new day and time for committee.

[Schedule received from Sally J. Litterly, clerk of the county board]

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Logan County Board members
(Effective Dec. 1, 2008-Nov. 30, 2010)

• Rick Aylesworth; 1477 50th St., Mount Pulaski, IL 62548; 792-5428
  District 3 (2012)

• Terry Carlton; 1550 Pulaski St., Lincoln, IL 62656; 732-2244
  District 6 (2012)     

• Robert D. Farmer; 1209 700th Ave., Lincoln, IL 62656; 735-1179
  District 2 (2010)

• David R. Hepler; 119 Lincoln Ave., Lincoln, IL 62656; 732-8586
  District 4 (2012)

• Gloria Luster; 228 N. College St., Lincoln, IL 62656; 737-0349
  District 5 (2010)

• Bill Martin; P.O. Box 203, Atlanta, IL 61723; 217-648-2885
  District 1 (2012)

• Patrick O'Neill; 210 N. State St., Lincoln, IL 62656; 732-9337
  District 5 (2012)

• Charles Ruben; 843 2600th St., Emden, IL 62635; 217-376-3478
  District 1 (2010)

• Jan Schumacher; 7 Forest Hills, Lincoln, IL 62656; 732-7101
  District 2 (2012)

• John Stewart; 1617 900th St., Mount Pulaski, IL 62548; 792-3444
  District 3 (2010)

• Terry W. Werth; 123 Lincoln Ave., Lincoln, IL 62656; 732-9314 
  District 4 (2010)

County board chairman: Terry Carlton, [e-mail]

Vice chairman: Pat O'Neill, [e-mail]

Administrative assistant: JoAnne Marlin, [e-mail]

County board office: 217-732-6400

Fax: [phone]

Postal address: Logan County Board, 601 Broadway St., P.O. Box 39, Lincoln, IL 62656

Web: http://www.co.logan.il.us/board/

___

Committees and monthly meeting days
(First person listed is chairman of each committee.)

Airport, farm:

• Farmer, Ruben, Martin, Werth, Aylesworth, Carlton

• Meets in county board room at courthouse on first Monday at 7 p.m.

Road and bridge:

• Werth, Ruben, Aylesworth, Martin, Farmer, Carlton

• Meets after airport-farm meeting on first Monday.

Buildings and grounds:

• Stewart, Schumacher, Luster, Carlton, O'Neill, Ruben

• Meets on first Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Insurance and legislative:

• Schumacher, Stewart, Ruben, O'Neill, Carlton, Luster

• Meets after building and grounds meeting on first Tuesday.

Planning and zoning:

• Hepler, Aylesworth, Martin, Schumacher, O'Neill, Carlton

• Meets in county board room on first Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Law enforcement, EMA, coroner, ambulance:

• Aylesworth, Luster, Werth, Carlton, Stewart, Farmer

• Meets in Blue Room at Logan County Safety Complex on first Thursday at 7 p.m.

Executive and economic development:

• Werth, Aylesworth, Carlton, Ruben, Farmer, Hepler

• Meets in county board room. On call.

Personnel:

• Schumacher, Carlton, Farmer, O'Neill

• Meets quarterly on second Monday in January, April, July and October.

Animal:

• Luster, Farmer, Hepler, Carlton, Schumacher

• Meets in county board room on second Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Finance:

• Ruben, Luster, Martin, Schumacher, Carlton, O'Neill

• Meets at courthouse on the second Tuesday each month at 5:30 p.m.

Health:

• Hepler

• Meetings at health department on second Monday of even months at 7 p.m.

Waste management:

• O'Neill, Martin

• Meets at courthouse on third Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Liquor:

• Luster, Farmer, Carlton, O'Neill, Werth

• On call.

Safety:

• Aylesworth, Carlton, Martin, O'Neill

• On call.

Work force investment:

• Schumacher

• On call.

Tourism, Main Street, government education:

• Werth, Schumacher, Carlton

• On call.

Chamber of commerce liaison:

• Terry Carlton, Jan Schumacher

Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership and business incubator liaison:

• David Hepler

General Assembly liaison:

• Terry Carlton, Pat O'Neill

• On call.

Community Action:

• O'Neill, Luster

• Meets at Community Action office on fourth Thursday at 7 p.m.

Parliamentarian:

• Hepler

Resources, conservation, development:

• Hepler

• On call.

Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership:

• Terry Carlton, Bill Martin

• Meets at chamber office on last Monday of each month.

Lincoln and Logan County Development Partnership, incubator
Community connections liaisons -- city and village meetings:

• Ruben, Martin, Schumacher, O'Neill, Carlton, Aylesworth

Task force -- personnel policies:

• Aylesworth, O'Neill, Schumacher, Carlton, Werth

• On call.

Task force -- finance policies:

• Ruben, Hepler, Carlton, Martin, O'Neill

• On call.

Board of whole:

• All meet in first-floor courtroom at courthouse on Thursday before third Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Adjourned board meeting:

• All members meet in first-floor courtroom at courthouse on third Tuesday at 7 p.m.